You’ve been arrested and are now facing serious felony criminal
charges. You’ve never been in trouble (or maybe you have) and you don’t
know what to do, but you know you hadn’t planned on being in jail this
Christmas. You know you need an attorney, but you don’t have any friends
or family that practice law and don’t know who to call. Regardless of
who you end up hiring, there are several basic questions that need to be
asked any attorney you interview to represent you.
1. Do you handle criminal law?
In days gone
by, many attorneys were “general practice” attorneys who you could call
if you were arrested, needed a divorce, wanted a Last Will and
Testament, or were injured in a car wreck. As the law has evolved and
become more complicated, it is now more common for attorneys and law
firms to focus on one or two areas of law. Many attorneys don’t
represent criminal defendants, or don’t handle criminal cases as a
regular part of their practice. Therefore, before you make a final
decision on an attorney you should probably ask them if they handle
criminal cases as a significant portion of their law practice.